Animal Rescue Stories

Little Dude

I make homemade dog treats because my saint has food allergies. I was volunteering with a local rescue group and I decided to make some bones for the dogs at my local shelter for Christmas. Me and 3 other people went to feed them. I had baked hundreds of bones so we started in the adoptable section and then moved over to the stray hold area to give them some treats. That is when I saw the cutest baby that just grabbed my heart. I was not looking for a dog because my saint was not comfortable around other dogs, but I couldn't quit thinking about that baby. I kept up with his time and before he was advertised as adoptable, I went and got him. Luckily my saint liked him immediately so I only had to crate him for 2 nights. He is the sweetest, happiest dog I have ever seen. Proves strays make wonderful dogs!

Vicky Lawrence
PRATTVILLE, AL

She had been waiting for a forever home for over 4 years.....

My heart was broken in March, 2018 when I had to euthanize my much-loved cat due to an inoperable mass in her abdomen that was probably cancer. She had shown up in the yard in the summer of 2006 and found her forever home. i decided to wait several months before adopting another cat and started looking in May. I wanted another female black cat and looked online at local shelters but did not find one. I then turned to Petfinder and saw the photo of a female black cat; the story said she had been waiting for a home for over 4 years. I decided she had been waiting long enough and contacted the foster mom online. It seems that Sheba did poorly at adoption events which is why no one had taken her in. The foster mom decided I should meet Sheba at her home; when I entered the house, Sheba was laying on a coffee table. I sat down on the sofa and started talking to her, then picked up a wand toy and enticed her to play with it. The foster mom told me that Sheba had always run away and hid when other potential adopters came to meet her, or else hissed/swatted at them, so she knew I was the person Sheba had been waiting for. Sheba came to her forever home in June, 2018 and as time has passed, her true sweet self started to shine. She truly picked me and helped to heal my broken heart.

Ann Moriarity
GERALD, MO

When Midnight was my brightest hour

About 10yrs ago now, I fell on hard times and had to re-home my three cats. I was devastated, I had had them all since they were kittens. I ended up in a halfway house while I saved up money to get my own place. The house had a cat that had started looking for food. We took her in and named her Midnight. She and I instantly bonded. She seemed to know that I needed someone at that time, and soon never left my side. A couple of years later I moved into a rental house, and she came with me and a couple of women from the halfway house. She was happy to have her own place to run around and not have a bunch of people grabbing at her. She still stayed with me though, sleeping with me at night and curling up under the covers when a rare cold front hits South Florida. We have only been separated once and that only lasted a couple of months. Today she still sleeps with me, I often wake up to her trying to tug the earring out of my ear. I know that this gets said a lot in these stories, but she truly did rescue me.

Jennifer Joy Wright
POMPANO BEACH, FL

One person's trash is another girl's treasure

I was having a very bad winter and was out with friends who were trying to cheer me up. A guy suddenly turned to me and asked, "Do you like kittens?" I told him I did and he explained to me a friend of his had gotten in way over her head rescuing a calico that was pregnant and had kittens twice... she was living in a 2 bedroom apartment with 17 cats total!

So I tracked the girl down, she showed me some pictures of the kittens and I made plans that Saturday to visit her place and hopefully take one home with me. I drove to her apartment. She showed me the kittens that were available...or she tried to. Most of them were scared and wouldn't come out from behind the couch. But there was this one rowdy orange and white boy, romping around and tormenting the smaller kittens. "That's Trash Kitty, he's a good guy." He apparently had been given the name trash kitty for his affinity to knocking down the trash cans and rummaging through them. I told her I'd take him. She told me if he didn't work out I could bring him back. I told her that wasn't going to happen and I wrote her a check to cover the adoption fee, just like I would have at a shelter. Plus, she really needed the money.
He curled up and slept on my lap on the way home, not wanting the carrier I brought for him, I gave him a bath, and he slept like a baby his first night in his new home.
I decided to name him Calvin. It suited him. He was lovable, energetic and he loved my 15 year old cat Hobbes from the very beginning...he was just what just what we needed. A high energy ball of love that gives me lots of laughs throughout the day. I swear he is part polar bear, he's got big fluffy feet and he loves to spring up and belly flop onto my face....I'm glad he's mine.

J. Kready
WESTERVILLE, OH

She wrapped her arms around my heart

Quite a number of years ago it was time for us to find a second cat. My husband (at the time) and I went to a local shelter that next weekend. We decided that day to only look, think about the cats we might like to adopt and come back the next weekend. I immediately was attracted to a small gray and white, young adult cat. She was really sweet and had gorgeous yellow eyes and really enjoyed the attention I gave her. My husband really liked a lovely black cat. During the week I could not get the little beauty out of my mind and knew I wanted to adopt her. So, we had decided to adopt both cats, but the little black cat had been adopted by the time we returned to the shelter. I found MY CAT I wanted to adopt, and opened the cage door. She jumped onto my chest and wrapped her arms around my neck and started talking and purring. She talked and talked to me. We completed the adoption process and they told me to pick her up several days later after she had been spayed. The day arrived! I went straight from the airport from a business trip right to the shelter. At first I thought they were giving me the wrong cat! She had been given a bath and was the most beautiful and unique Calico cat (gray, white and orange rather than the traditional black, white and orange). She is one of the most gorgeous cats that ever adopted me. I did not like the name they had given her and it was spring time, so I named her April Snow. April became my little shadow at home and talked almost continuously. She had a fairly long life with me but developed breast cancer a few years ago. April lost her battle with cancer as there were more deep tumors the surgeon found upon the surgery. I still miss her greeting and talking about her day. April grabbed her heart with her arms that day and never stopped!

Debra Parr
AUSTIN, TX

Little Amy

I was left alone for long periods of time. Sometimes too long, I lost my "potty" skills. The breeder took me back to re-train and then found "parents" wanting for a companion for the Bichon they had gotten some few months prior. Their hearts were big and soon I was placed with them. Never again was I alone or lonely.

My new "parents" had to work, but I was with Lady Wrongway, the Bichon. Since we were only 6 months apart in age, we quickly became life-bonded. We were so bonded that when taken to the groomer, we cried if they put us in separate kennels. As we grew, Lady doubled me in weight. But I have the "poodle legs" so we were the same size.

Other dogs came to live with us over time, all welcomed and loved!

Scarlett
ALBANY, GA

Precious Big Baby

I went into the Mich Humane Society to look for a companion for my Hound Penny. She is about 5 years old. I walked around and around looking at all the dogs. One dog named Sue caught my eye. She is a 13 year old Husky and is gorgeous. She kept on watching me as I read her bio on the door. She has medical issues such as chronic ear infections.
I thought for a quick second and decided she was for me.
I brought her home and introduced her to Penny.
They became fast friends.

Cynthia Plankar
WESTLAND, MI

He was pit bull bait.

Saw him chained up in a yard with 2 pit bulls chained to the other side. Jumped fence, got him away, then called police, since pits were illegal there. Broke my heart to leave the other two, but both were scarred from previous fights & very aggressive. Eventually cops came, & house was actually condemned & razed to the ground a few months later. This was years ago & I don't live in that city any more so I dare tell the story now. Lancelot was about 3 years old then, the vet said. He's 12 now & doing fine.

Alicia
KISSIMMEE, FL

One Special Kitty of my Heart

I have rescued many cats over my lifetime, but one of my most memorable and dear was my cat, Osiris. Osiris was mostly black with a white crescent moon shape on his chest and a small patch of white low on his belly. Osiris came to me with three litter-mates when they were three weeks old. They'd been abandoned, but I had a nursing mama cat with four kittens of the same age who immediately adopted the new kittens. Osiris was the shyest of the eight kittens and we shared a special bond as he and my Norwegian Forest cat, Kahlua, were my informal therapy cats. Kahlua passed in 2004 but Osiris remained with me until 2016 when he died of sudden kidney failure just shy of 16 years old. Osiris slept with me every night and sat on my lap while I read during the day. He knew when I was upset and would come to me giving me a nose rub and a special meow. I still miss him dearly. I keep his picture in a special frame that sits on my dresser where it's easily visible.

Darla J Taylor
SAN ANTONIO, TX

Rescued from fighting brothers

While working for a local law enforcement agency I took a report from a Deputy regarding two brothers who had gotten into a fight and the older brother picked up a small cat that belonged to the younger brother and threw her through the air, causing her to land on the cement driveway. He did this twice. The Deputy took possession of the cat and took her an emergence vet clinic. He told me if she survived the night, she would be taken to the local shelter. The next morning I called the vet clinic and found she had been taken to the shelter. I went to the shelter and found her. She was a beautiful black and white cat with a bobbing head. I adopted her with the understanding I would be responsible for any medical treatment due to her injuries. We had her for 18 years, passing a month ago. Not only was she was beautiful, loving and full of personality, but she won over the affections and heart of my husband who was not a "cat" person (but is now).

Debbie Thompson
JACKSON, MI